Manufacture of soap



252. COMPOSITIONS.

Patented June 4, 1929.

Cross deference UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

nmrsr immune AND cnms'rrsn KELBER, OF HEILBRONN, GERMANY.

MANUFACTURE OF SOAP.

No Drawing. Original application filed November 16, 1925, Serial No. 69,488. Divided. and this application filed August 16, 1926. Serial No. 129,655.

are made by mixing dry' finely powdered soap and alkaline per-salts in the form of powder with or without addition of other dry washing agents in powder form.

These soap powders made of dried soap and per-salts become readily dissociated, as the size of the granules as well as the specific weight of the constituents are different- Moreover the soap in powder-form dissolves quicker than the alkaline per-salt when they are employed and there is thus the danger that the less soluble alkaline per-salts of greater specific weight settle upon the articles. being washed and, forming a concentrated solution, cause a strong local action and 7 thus a damage to the materials. V

According to the present process, however, water containing soap 18 used for the manufacture of soap flakes or soap bands containing alkaline per-salts. The soap with a rela-,

tively low water content, for instance from 8 to 14% water, are exceedingly brittle when used alone. It appeared to us that it would not be possible to form the soap into thin flakes or the like when adding alkaline persalts to the soap.

The form of thin flakes or the like is of particular advantage, as it ensures a uniform solution of the soap and of the per-salts contained therein. In this form it is not possible for perborate granules liberated from the soap envelope to produce a strongly concentrated local bleaching solution which would cause holes to be formed in the article being washed. 1

According to the present process soap having a small water content, say from 8 to 14% water, is intimately mixed with compounds in powder form, containing active oxygen,

articularly alkaline per-salts, the mixture is then rolled out thin in rolling machines and cut up in a cutting machine into small pieces in flake form. The essential feature of the present process consists in mixing soap havin a small water content and alkaline per-sa ts, and bringing these mixtures into a form which with certainty prevents the constituents becoming dissociated, which would cause damage to the articles being washed, and ensures an exceedingly ready solubility.

The manufacture of flakes or hands of soap mixed with salts particularly alkaline ersalts has certain special advantages, if t ese flakes or bands are made translucent, as is the case according to various modifications of the present invention- Hitherto it has not been possible to make either non-translucent or translucent bands from such a mixture. The applicants have discovered, that translucent flakes or hands may be made, if the fatty acids required for the manufacture of the soaps contain a fairly large percentage of acids of the formula C I-1 0 and CnH ,O With such an addition of acids a uniform band is formed on the rolls, from which readily soluble, translucent flakes or bands may be produced. Less saturated acids, for instance those of the formula C H O are not suitable for use as additions to these soaps, when per-salts, there is a danger of the formation of organic peroxides.

The products obtained with the admixture of the said acids are translucent and elastic and dissolve uniformly and readily. In this way soaps containing considerable uantities of salts or mixtures of salts in a suita le quantity may be made in the form of thin trans lucent, elastic flakes.

The invention is carried out for instance in the following manner:

1. A soap is made, the fatty acid mixture of which contains lauric and myristic acid along with 35% ricinoleic acid. The soap thus produced is dried, mixed with 20% sodium perborate and rolled in the rolling machine. Translucent flakes are obtained, which are readily soluble, even in cold water.

2. A soap is made, the fatty acid mixture of which contains lauric, myristic and palmitic acid together with 50% erucic acid; this soap is dried and mixed with 15% sodium perborate. After rolling in the rolling machine translucent, readily soluble flakes are obtained.

In place of the one definite salt mixtures of salts particularly alkaline per-salts may of course be used. The selection of the acid to be added (for instance ricinoleic acid or erucic) depends on the kind and quantity of the combined salts particularly per-salts or mixtures of salts, particularly alkaline persa ts.

Another modification in the manufacture of translucent flakes or bands from a mixture of soap having a small water content and Examiner containing salts giving off oxygen consists in adding to the mixture hydrocarbons having the formula C H -PQ and C H with at least ten carbon atoms or their oxy-compounds, free or in the form of their esters. More strongly unsaturated hydrocarbons, for instance those having the formula C H are not suitable, as they do not obviate the danger of the decomposition of the compounds which give off oxygen. In this case only the acids mentioned above are suitable.

In this modified form the invention may for instance be carried out as follows:

Example 1.To a mixture of soap having 84% fatty acid and sodium perborate the cetyl ester of palmitic acid is added, for instance 4%, and after the said ester has been mixed with the mixture of soap and compounds containing oxygen the mixture thus obtained is passed through a rolling machine, the lower roll of which is heated. Bands of good translucence are obtained.

Example .Z.To the mixture of dried soap and sodium percarbonate is added for instance lauric acid methyl ester, the ingredients are mixed and the entire mixture is passed through the rolling machine. Smooth translucent flakes are obtained after the bands have been suitably divided. The lauric acid methyl ester however may be previously added to the water-containing soap. In that case the soap is first dried and worked up together with the sodium percarbonate into flakes.

A third modification of the manufacture of translucent flakes or bands from soap mixed with salts consists in using for the manufacture of the soaps fatty acids which are partially converted into potassium salts, so that the soap which has a small water content or has been dried there will constitute a mixture of potash and soda soaps. If this mixture consisting of potash-soda soaps be mixed with salts which give off oxygen, translucent and sufliciently elastic products may be made. The following is an example of the manufacture of such a soap:

A soap mixture is made containing 17% potash soaps and 83% soda soa s and the mixture is dried. To 80 parts 0 this dried soap mixture for instance 20 parts of sodium perborate are used and these raw materials are then intimately mixed together. A mixture of potash-soda soaps is thus obtained with the addition of sodium perborate, which is passed throu h the rolling machine, and leaves it in the orm of a smooth, elastic and translucent band, which may readily be cut up into elastic and translucent flakes.

This modification is not restricted to the limits of 17% potash and soaps and 83% soda soaps given in the above example and also not to the proportion of the soap mixture with the salts t ere given. The mixtures of salts may be used in place of the salt and the percentage of potash soaps may vary according to the kind and quantity of the added salt. The proportions of the soap mixture of potash and soda soaps will be chosen according to the kind and quantity of the added salt or mixtures of salts used.

Thus the main idea underlying the present invention consists in this, that for making soaps into a stable mixture with salts giving off oxygen soap having a water content of less than 15% has for the first time been used. Hitherto it has been assumed that the soap should be completely dry, in order to prevent the destruction of the per-salts: it had not however been found possible to make bands or flakes from the dry soap combined with alkaline per-salts. For the same reason it had been found still more diflicult to make translucent flakes or bands, such as can be made according to the present invention, even with completely dried soap.

Percarbonates may be used in the same manner as the perborates are used.

The above description should not be understood as limiting but rather descriptive of the best mode of carrying out our invention which we claim to be:

1. A process for the manufacture of soap flakes which comprises forming soap containing water but less than 15% water, incorporating in said soap an alkaline per-salt and a compound having the general formula C H, O where n is more than 9, and rolling and cutting the mass to form flakes.

2. A process for the manufacture of soap flakes which comprises forming soap containing water but less than 15% water, incorporating in said soap an alkaline er-salt and an ester having the general ormula (l H O where n is more than 9, and rolling and cutting the mass to form flakes.

3. A process for the manufacture of soap flakes which comprises forming soap containing water but less than 15% water, incorporating in said soap an alkaline per-salt and the cetyl ester of palmitic acid, and rolling and cutting the mass to form flakes.

4. An article of manufacture comprising soap flakes containing water but less than 15% water, an alkaline per-salt and a comwhere n is more t an 9.

5. An article of manufacture comprising soap flakes containing water but less than 15% water, an alkaline per-salt and an ester having the eneral formula C,,H ,,O where n is more t an 9.

6. An article of manufacture comprising soap flakes containing water but less than 15% water, an alkaline per-salt and the cetyl ester of a palmitic acid.

In testimonywhereof we aflix our signatures.

ERNST FLAMMER. CHRISTIAN KELBER.

pound having the eneral formula C H O v 

